Appendix J contains detailed good practice for Customer Information Systems.
Electronic Visual Customer Information Systems – Minimum Requirements
All visual displays need to comply with the EVCISMR – Electronic Visual Customer Information Systems Minimum Requirements and the relevant sections of the Department for Transport Accessible Train and Station Design for Disabled People: A Code of Practice 2008. If there is a conflict between the two documents the Department for Transport Code of Practice should take precedence.
Advance journey information
Changes to train times – special events / engineering work etc.
Station information screens should show details of upcoming engineering work which complement the posters and announcements made at those stations.
Where there are changes to the published timetable due to special events, engineering work or public holidays affecting trains from that station or line of route, information about the changes and the reason should be displayed 5 days in advance at all of the stations affected232.
Where there are major and prolonged changes to the published timetable due to special events / engineering work affecting trains from that station or line of route – for example a
Information on Station
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major area re-signalling – information about the changes and the reason should be displayed 4 weeks in advance at the stations affected233. This should not overwrite train running information234. The screens could contain the following minimum information:
The line, location or route affected
Date(s) work is commencing
Options for the passenger TOC and National Rail Enquiries website addresses and telephone numbers for further information
Real time information
Information screens could display the same information that is being announcedlxvi.
However, the constraints of current systems may mean that this is not always possible. Where a stand-alone – non-automated – CIS system is in operation, the TOC could have a documented process for staff to provide timely manual updates to ensure that correct information is made available to passengerslxvii.
Abbreviations could be used only when unavoidable and then only standard abbreviations can be usedlxviii (see Appendix D). New installations should allow for display of a minimum of
18 characters including spacing.
A standard layout could be adopted for new CIS screens for ‘summary’ arrival or departure and ‘next train’ displayslxix (Section 6 of Appendix E).
When it is necessary to ‘scroll’ a screen to show all information for a particular train, the second and subsequent pages could repeat the train destination and departure time header, and show ‘page 2’ (or ‘page 3’ etc. as appropriate) and the first page as ‘page 1’ where possiblelxx. TOCs could monitor screens whilst in use to assess whether scrolling is
necessarylxxi.
Information messages should never be shown between successive pages of ‘scrolled’ next train information (i.e. Page 1, Information Message, Page 2)235. TOCs are encouraged to provide dedicated screens for the display of special notices.
Information messages could only be shown on ‘next train’ displays where this does not make train service information confusinglxxii.
Summary and ‘next train’ platform displays should not be used for promotional messages where the promotional message will overwrite the departure information236.
Departure summaries should show platform numbers, scheduled departure time, destination and whether the train is on time237. On departure, a train could be cleared immediately from the next train indicator and departure summarylxxiii.
Arrival summaries should show platform numbers, scheduled arrival time, train originating point, and whether the train is on time or not238. Where systems allow, trains that have arrived could be shown as ‘Arrived’ for a short time before they are cleared from the displaylxxiv.
Combined arrival and departure screens should show platform numbers, scheduled arrival and departure times, origin and destination and whether the train is on time239.
Platform ‘next train’ departure displays should include train formation details, especially where platform zoning is in use240 (for example ‘four coaches/twelve coaches’ or location of First Class).
If a train is making a lengthy journey with a significant intermediate calling point, this and the final destination could be shown on the summary display, and in the ‘next train’ display heading, where space permitslxxv: for example ‘Salisbury and Yeovil Junction’.
If a train consists of two or more portions which split on route, e.g. Glasgow Queen Street to Oban / Mallaig, both destinations should be shown on the summary display241.
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Rail replacement buses should be advertised on departure screens with scheduled departure times, calling points and destinations242.
Stations without Information Screens
For stations without any real time customer communication method, the following are available for consideration:
Live Departure Board departure screens
TrainTracker specific numbers – with instruction posters
Help Points
Information during disruption
TOCs should have a process for managing CIS during times of severe disruption or when a significant number of trains have been cancelled to ensure that the information being displayed to passengers is accurate243.
When reporting service disruption, the following details should be derived from the Core Message and reported to the passenger:
The reason
The TOC(s) affected
The route and station(s) affected
Impact on passengers and advice of alternative arrangements
Estimates for normal service to resume244
There are also specific messages that could be templated in order to ensure that the out of course announcements are supplemented by visual information. These are:
Delayed train – reason known
Delayed train – reason unknown
Cancelled train
Platform changes
Short formations
Reverse formation
Emergency engineering work
Catering not available
Not stopping at information
No first class / quiet coach / bike spaces
Overcrowded train
Toilets out of use